The Senate has passed two amendment bills designed to explicitly clarify the host communities of two federal tertiary institutions in Bende, Abia State, in a proactive measure to prevent potential communal friction and boundary misunderstandings.
Under the newly passed amendments, the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences will be officially domiciled in Bende town, while the Federal College of Education will be located in Item Bende.
The legislation, transmitted from the House of Representatives for Senate concurrence, amends the founding establishment acts of both institutions to remove geographic ambiguities. The measures passed are:
- Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (HB.2775)
- Federal College of Education, Bende (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (HB.2776)
Leading the debate on the Senate floor, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North), emphasized that defining exact host communities is critical for institutional stability and harmonious relations.
While the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences would be domiciled in Bende town, the Federal College of Education would be located in Item Bende, urging lawmakers to support the bills which had already completed necessary legislative processes in the House of Representatives.
Senator Tahir Monguno.
Following the second reading, the Senate resolved into the Committee of the Whole for clause-by-clause consideration, subsequently adopting both bills and passing them through their third readings.
Commending the initiative, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the amendments as crucial legal corrections that safeguard peaceful relations between neighboring communities within the Bende Federal Constituency.
“I congratulate the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, for sponsoring the legislative initiative,” Senate President Akpabio stated. He commended both chambers of the National Assembly for resolving what appeared to be a minor drafting issue, noting its significant positive implications for community relations and long-term regional peace.
